Senate on Tuesday urged the federal government to collaborate with the United Nations and the Libyan authorities for urgent repatriation of hundreds of Nigerian women and children languishing in Libyan prisons.
The Red Chamber also called for enhanced border security in Nigeria to curb irregular migration from states like Edo, where smuggling networks lure vulnerable youths with tales of prosperity.
Similarly, it advocated stronger diplomatic engagement with Libyan authorities and the mobilisation of regional support through the African Union, ECOWAS, and the United Nations to ensure protection and justice for detained Nigerians.
These resolutions followed a motion moved by Senator Aniekan Bassey (APC Cross River South), who drew the attention of his colleagues to the recurring cases of trafficking, slavery, and gross human rights abuses faced by Nigerian migrants in Libya—a country that has long served as a deadly transit point for those seeking to reach Europe illegally.
Presenting the motion, Senator Bassey described Libya as “a corridor of death and despair” for many desperate Nigerians who fall prey to human traffickers and criminal gangs.
The lawmaker cited reports indicating that about 1,000 Nigerians were repatriated from Libya in the first quarter of 2025 alone, with many survivors recounting harrowing ordeals of torture, sexual violence, and forced labour.
He said: “One survivor, Mercy Olugbenga, sold her family’s property to fund her trip to Libya, only to be held captive for over a year while her blood was repeatedly drained against her will.
“It is a chilling reminder that slavery still exists in our time.”
In their contributions, Senators Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC Cross River) and Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP Kogi Central) described Nigerians’ ordeal as “modern-day slavery” seeking urgent diplomatic action to end the abuse and bring the victims home.
Specifically Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan moved an additional prayer mandating the Nigerian Immigration Service and the Nigerian Correctional Service to liaise with Libyan authorities to expedite the release and repatriation of Nigerian female inmates and their children born in detention.
She decried the horrific experiences of the victims, most of whom were lured abroad under false promises of employment, only to be trafficked and later imprisoned after escaping forced prostitution.
“Pregnant women and nursing mothers are among those arrested in house raids by Libyan security forces,” Akpoti-Uduaghan noted, referencing a September 2025 video circulated on social media showing distressed Nigerian women pleading for help from hiding spots in Tripoli.
“These women were victims twice over—first of traffickers, then of a broken system.
“Several were sexually assaulted in detention, leading to pregnancies. Their children, born behind bars, must not suffer for crimes they did not commit,” she said.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC Edo North) proposed another amendment, urging the National Orientation Agency and other relevant institutions to intensify public sensitisation campaigns on the dangers of irregular migration—a motion seconded by Senator Ned Nwoko (APC Delta North) and adopted.
“Nigerians have no business being in Libya. We need to start educating and discouraging Nigerians that there is no greener pasture in that country,” he warned.
Also, Senator Anthony Ani (APC Ebonyi South) described the ordeal of Nigerian migrants in Libya as “a stain on our national conscience,” while Senator Victor Umeh (LP Anambra Central) condemned the silence of African leaders over the abuses.
“We are members of the African Union, yet Africans are treating fellow Africans worse than animals.
“The AU must act—no country should be allowed to get away with such cruelty,” he said.
The Senate referenced reports by Amnesty International and the International Organisation for Migration documenting widespread abuses—including rape, arbitrary detention, and killings—by both state- and militia-run detention centres in Libya.
The Red Chamber also mandated its Committees on Diaspora, Judiciary, Human Rights, and Foreign Affairs to investigate human trafficking networks and unlicensed travel agents facilitating illegal migration, with a view to tightening existing laws and enforcement mechanisms.
In his remarks, the Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended Senator Bassey for bringing the motion to the fore and mandated the Committee on Legislative Compliance to monitor implementation of the resolutions.
While cautioning the Nigerian youths against irregular migration, he said: “Home is home. Many who leave in search of greener pastures only find pain abroad. Let us build our nation together, for there is no greater pride than being safe and free in one’s homeland.”
